Manifold pressure equalizer



y n Pll 30, 1940f D. s. l-IERSEYl 2,199.259

MANIFOLD PRESSURE EQUALIZER Filed Sept. 18, 1957 ShQe'lZS-Sheet' 1 .gamba-f IN V EN TOR.

`ATTORNEY l April 30, 1940. D. s. HERsEY MANIFOLD PRESSURE EQUALIZER Filed sept. 18, 1937 2 sheets-sheet 2 PatentedApr. 30,1940

UNITED STATES PATENT ori-ICE 2,199,259 MANIFOLD PRESSURE EQUALizEn Donald S. Hersey, West Hartford, Conn., assignor to United Aircraft Corporation, East Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Delawarey Application September 18, 1937, Serial No. 164,512 is claims. (ci. svol- 19) This invention relates to improvements in in'- ternal combustion engines and has particular.

reference to improvements in intake control* means for such engines. An object of the invention resides in the provision of an improved method and apparatus for causing two or more engine cylinders or groups of engine cylinders to operate at substantially-the same power output.

sure of fluid flow in two or more manifolds to maintain the pressure or iiow in all of the manifolds substantially equal. l5 Other objects and advantages, will be more particularly pointed out hereinafter or will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings in which like y In the drawings Fig. l is a schematic top-plany view of an internal combustion engine showing a 30 control means incorporating this invention, the various elements of' thev control means being broken away and shown in section to better illusv trate the construction thereof.

Fig. 2 is a schematic view on a somewhat en- 35 larged scale o f the control means illustrated in.

Fig. 1 showing the application thereto of a man'- ually operated adjusting means.

Fig. 3 is a schematic top-plan view of an engine, and a somewhat modified form. of control means applied thereto, the control means being broken away and shown in section to better illustrate the construction thereof, and I Fig. 4 is a schematic sectional view of the control means arranged. to'control the uid pressure l45 in more than twoengine intake manifolds.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the numeral I0 generally indicates an engine such asa multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having a crankcase l2 enclosing and supporting con- 50 ventional engine parts and a 'plurality of cylinders I4 arranged in two groups, as indicated at I6 and I8. Each group of cylinders is provided lwith an intake and an exhaust manifold,- the in- /takemanifold for the group I6 being indicated 55" at 20 and the exhaust manifold at 22,'while the A further object resides in the provision of control means for controlling the relative fluid presy intake manifold for the group I8 is indicated at 24 and the exhaust manifold at 26. Each manifold is connected to each cylinder in the respective group by suitable intake or exhaust stacks or conduits.`

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 1 each of the exhaust manifolds is connected with a turbine which drives a rotary compressor or supercharger connected with the intake manifold of the same cylinder group, the turbine and compressor together constituting a turbine compressor unit for the respective cylinder group. Thus exhaust manifold 22 is connected with the turbine 28 which drives the supercharger 36 vconnected with the intake manifold 20 and the exhaust manifold 26 is connected with theturbine 32 which drives the supercharger 34 connected with the intake manifold v24. With this construction the residuary energy of the exhaust gases after their discharge from the cylinders is utilized to supply power for supercharging the engine.

In theconstructional embodiment of the control means, as illustrated in Fig. 1, a servo-motor,.generally indicated at 36; is disposed between the two intake manifolds and 24. 'Ihe servo` motor may be operated by hydraulic pressure in which case it incorporates `a valve chamber 36 en- ,c10sing a movable valve member 40, and a cylinder 42 enclosing a reciprocable piston 44, suitable ports, as indicated at 46 and 48, being provided between the valve chamber and the cylinder. Hydraulic fluid under pressure is led to thevalve chamber 38 through the centrally disposed conduit 5Il and is drained from the chamber through the conduits 52 and 54 disposed adjacent to the ends of the chamber. The valve member is provided with two spaced apart valve pistonsA 56 and 58 controlling the ports 46 and 48 respectively. The stem portion of the valve member 40 extends through the opposite ends of the valve chamber 68 and is connected atits opposite ends to pressure responsive expansible chamber devices 60 and 62 connected with the interiors of the intake manifolds 2l) and 24 respectively.

From the above description it will be observed that if the uid pressures in the two intake mani.- folds 20 and 24, are unequal, the pressure re- ,sponsive devices 60 and 62. will act to move the Vvalve 40. If the action of the pressure responsive I trolling the pressure and amount of exhaust gases led to the respective turbines 28 and 32. The valves 18 and 12 control outlets 14 and 16 respectively in the respective exhaust manifolds 22 and 26, positioned ahead of the turbines 28 and 32 so that a portion of the exhaust gases flowing through the manifolds will be diverted from the respective turbines to thereby control the power developed by the turbines and delivered to the respective s'uperchargers 38 and 34. Since the pressure of the air or fuel mixture in the intake manifolds 28 and 24 will be 4proportional'to the power delivered to the respective superchargers, it is apparent that the pressure in the two mani- 1 folds can be accurately controlled or balanced by controlling the Aamount of power developed by the exhaust drivenvturbines and delivered to the superchargers.

If desired, the exhaust manifolds 22 and 26 may be provided with other outlets, as indicated at 18 and 88 respectively, controlled by valves 82 and 84 either' manually or` automatically actuated to control the fluid pressure in the two in'- n take manifolds at any particular time. Such a control may be utilized, for example. t0 control theV superchargcrs of an aircraft engine to maintain the pressurein the intake manifolds of the engine substantially constant at various altitudes at which the aircraft may be own'.

-In the somewhat modified form ofthe invention, illustrated in Fig. 2, the-outlets 18 and 88 and valves 82 and 84 are functionally combined 4with the outlets 14 and V16 and correspondingl valves 18 and 12 so that both the automatic andi manual' control are obtained by adjustment of the same pair of valves. In this arrangement. one end of the link 84 is connected to a member 86 which carries a movable pivot 88, \the arrangement being such thatmovements of the rod 84 bythe piston-44 will change the position of the pivot 88. A lever-member 98 is mounted, intermediate its length, on'the pivot 8 8 and has its ends connected to the valves 18 and 12 by suitable pivotal connection such as the respective link rods l82/ and 84. One -end of the lever member .i

38 is also pivotallyconnected by suitable means such. as the link rod 88 with one end of a hand lever 88 mounted intermediate its length upon 'a ,fixed pivot |88. With this arrangement the pressurein one of the manifolds, .for example, the manifold 2i, may be regulated by the manual through the two intake manifolds rather than to maintain the uid pressure in the two manifolds |84 respectively.`

Each of the expanslble chamber devices 68 and |36, |38, |48 and lll.

tical number ofl controlled manifolds.

82 is enclosed in a sealedchamber, as indicated at |86 and |88 respectivelyI and is internally connected with the throat portion of the respective Venturi tube by a suitable conduit, as, indicated at ||8 and ||2 respectively. The chambers |88 and |88 are internally connected by `suitable conduits, vas indicated at ||4 and IIB, with the respective Venturi tubes |82 and |84 ahead of the throat portions ofthe Venturi tubes. With this arrangement each expansible chamber device will contract upon an increase in the flow of fluid through the respective venturi to which it is connected and will expand upon a decrease in such uid flow. The servo-motor 3G and the percharger in the manner explained above. In

the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 3 the pressure in the two intake manifolds may be manually controlled by aI separate set of valves or. may be manually controlled by means of a manual control device combined with the same set of'valves to which the automatic control is connected, the latter arrangement being shown for illustrative purposes. f

The' arrangement illustrated in 4 shows anapplication of the idea of the invention for 'maintaining equal manifoldv pressures in more than two manifolds at the same time. This arrangement utilizes one servo-motor and motorcontrolling pressureresponslve device for each manifold the pressure of whic' `s to be controlled. In the example illustrated'the.e arefour exhaust manifolds provided with outlets or by-passcon-- duits, as indicated at H8, |28, |22, and |28, each controlled by a valve, as indicated at |24, |28, |28 and |28,Vrespectivcly. The four servo-mo-v tors are indicated respectively at |38, |32, |34 and I38,andtheexpansible chamber devices at chamber`devic of the three controlled manifolds I43, |48 and |41 may be disposed in a common sealed container |42 internally connected by .means of tube .I 58 with the interior of the fourth intake`manifoldr|48 which is .to be used as the master or control manifold for the group. While the illustration shows a device for controlling three manifold pressures bythe pressure in a` fourth manifold dted/as the master The three expansible Vvor control manifold, it is to be understood that the device may be extended to control any prac- The interior of each of the expansible chamber de- ',yices |36, |38V and |48 is connected-t0 the interior of a respective intake manifold by a suitadrawings that any departure of the fluid pressure in a controlled manifold from the fluid pressure in the control manifold will cause a change in the volume of the respective variable volume -device which will movev the respective valve mechanism to actuate the servo-motor to change therespective control valve |24, |28 or |28 tc bring the fluid pressure of the controlled `mani-- folds back to equalization with the fluid pres- L sure in the controlmanifold. Otherwise the operation of the device, illustrated in Fig. 4, isthe same as that described above, the hydraulic fluid under pressure being fecl `to the servo-motors through suitable conduits and being drained away .from the servo-motors through other suitable conduits. The ,servo-motors themselves are essentially the saine as the servo-motors described in connection with Figs. 1 and 3, and the control valve in the exhaust gas by-passes may also be essentially the same as those described above. sive control for the manifold M9 may comprise an expansible chamber I4! connected with the interior of the manifold and opposed by an adjustable spring |5l regulated by the manually adjustable screw |53. While this arrangement provides a manually adjustable automaticpres sure control for the manifold I 49, it is to be understood that even though the pressure in this manifold be manually controlled directly, the

` ically controlled according to the invention.

From the above description it will be observed that eachengine or each group of engine .cylinders having a respective pair of manifolds, in-y cluding an exhaust manifold and an intake manifold, is provided with an individual controllable turbo-compressor unit and that a simple and effective control mechanism has been provided which will control the operation of the various turbo-units in accordance with some function of lthe air supply to the respective intake manifolds, such as the pressure in the manifold or the velocity of the air flow supplied to the manifold, to maintain substantially equal air pressures or quantities of air in the various intake manifolds so that the power developed by the various engines or cylinder groups will be maintained substantially equal' or balanced.

While there has been illustrated and described in several somewhat varied forms a suitable mechanical embodiment of what is now considered to be the preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is in no way limited to the particular constructions so illustrated and described but that such changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to as come within the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having now described the invention so that others skilled in the art may clearly understand the same what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

l. In combination with a plurality of intake manifolds, individual power actuated means for supplying air under pressure to said intake manifolds', and control means responsive to a function of the air supply to said various manifolds for regulating said individual supply means to main tain the air supply to said various manifolds substantially equalized.

2. In combination with an engine or engines having a plurality of intake manifolds, individual substantially equalized.

3. In combination with an engine or a plurality of engines having a plurality of Aintake manifolds,

individual means for supplying air under pressure The automatic pressure responprising, a servo-motor and a. pressure responsive device controlling said servo-motor and operatively connected with each of said intake mani-- folds, responsive to the pressure of the air in said intake manifolds f or regulating said individual air supply means to maintain the pressure of the air in the various intake manifolds substantially equalized.

4. In combination with anv engine having a. plurality of intake manifolds, an individual supercharger for each intake lmanifold, means controlling each supercharger, a servo-motor for actuating said supercharger control means, and means responsive to fluid pressure in each of said intake manifolds for actuating said servo-motor to maintain the fluid pressure in the various intake manifolds substantially equalized.

5. In combination with an engine having a plurality f of .intake manifolds, individual superchargers for supplying air under pressure to said intake manifolds, means for regulating the power supplied to said superchargers tol regulate the fluid pressure in said intake manifolds, and means operatively combined with said regulating means and responsive to the fluid pressure in each of said intake manifolds for automatically equalizing the fluid pressure inthe various intake manifolds.

6. In combination with an engine having a plurality of intake manifolds and a plurality of exhaust 'manifolda individual superchargers .con-l nected with said intake manifolds, individual exhaust turbines connected with said exhaust manifolds and driving said superchargers, and control means responsivev to fluid pressure in each of said intake manifolds for controlling the pressure of the exhaust gases fed to said individual exhaust gas turbines -to equalize the fluid pressures in the various intake manifolds.

7. In combination with a plurality of groups of engine cylinders, an intake and an exhaust manipressure in said intake manifolds substantially equalized.

8. In combination with a plurality of engine a cylinder groups, an intake and an exhaust manifold constituting a' pair of manifolds for each group, a turbo-compressor unit connected with each pair of manifolds, a valve in each exhaust manifold for controlling the operation of each of the respective turbo-compressor units, controlL means responsive to the fluid pressure in all of maticaly controlling said turbo-compressor units to maintain the pressure in said intake manifolds substantially equalized, and manual control means connected between said automatic control means and said valves to raise or lower the manifold pressure maintained in balanced lcondition in the several intake manifolds by said automatic control means.

9. In combination with an engine having a plu--` rality of cylinder groups, anda pair of manifolds including an intake and an exhaust manifold for each group, a turbo-compressor unit connected v said intake manifolds and connected' withthe valves in all of said exhaust manifoldsforfautoto each pair of manifolds, a valve in each exhaust manifold for controlling the operation of the respectiva turbo-compressor unit, control means responsive to the fluid pressure in all of said intake manifolds operatively connected with said valves for controlling the operation of said turbo-compressor units to maintain the uid pressure in all of said intake manifolds substantially equalized, a separate manually controlled valve in each exhaust manifold, and means for actuating said separate valves simultaneously to raise or lower` the intake manifold pressure.

10. In combination with'an engine having a plurality of cylinder groups, and a pair ofmanifolds including an intake and an exhaust manifold for each group, a turbo-compressor unit connected to each pair of manifolds, means controlling the flow of exhaust gases through each exhaust manifold to the respective turbine, a Ven- I turi tube at-the inlet of each compressor, and

means connected with said Venturi tubes and responsive .to a difference in air iiow through said tubes for actuating said exhaust gas flow controlling means toA regulatethe power supplied to said n superchargers.

11. In combination withan engine having two groups of cylinders and an intake and an exhaust manifold for each cylinder group, a turbo-compressor unit connected to the manifolds of each cylinder group,v means for differentially controlling the operation of said turbines, and means responsive to a function of the air supply in said intake manifolds to actuate said turbine controlling means. -1 V 12. The method of maintaining equal fluid pressures in two or more manifolds which comprises, supercharging lsaid manifolds by individual power driven superchargers, and utilizing pressure differences between separate manifolds to differentially control the power input to said superchargers.

13. The method of maintaining equal fluid ow in two or more manifolds which comprises, supercharging said manifolds by individual power ,driven superchargers, automatically comparing the velocity of uid flow into said manifolds, and

utilizing differences in the rate of fluid How into- 'said several manifolds to differentially regulate the power inputto the respective superchargers.

- l DONALD S. HERBEY. 

